Podcast
Rapid Response
Hosted by WaitWhat · EN
The pace of change in our culture is unprecedented and shows no signs of slowing. So what is most important to pay attention to when striving to innovate, create, and lead? From the team behind Masters of Scale, Rapid Response features candid conversations with today's top business leaders navigating real-time challenges. Hosted by the former editor-in-chief of Fast Company, Bob Safian.
53episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Speed vs. accuracy, scale vs. soul: Watch Duty's toughest fire season yet
4d ago00:32:01Tap to summarizeIt's only mid-August, and Watch Duty CEO John Mills says it's only going to get worse. With British Columbia under a province-wide state of emergency and Spokane still reeling from the most destructive wildfire in Washington state history, Mills joins Rapid Response to take us inside the most catastrophic fire season his team has ever faced. Since the LA wildfires made Watch Duty a household name, the nonprofit has doubled its headcount and revenue — growth Mills describes as a little too wild for comfort. He talks about the decision to expand into flood monitoring across all 50 states, the controversial partnership with Ring cameras, and what it actually takes to scale a life-saving operation without investors, a cap table, or the luxury of getting it wrong. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Google’s exodus, Spider-Man’s odyssey, Taco “Hell”, and more
1w ago00:29:58Tap to summarizeWhat’s the business story of the summer thus far? SpaceX’s stumble post-IPO? AI security breaches? Ongoing tension surrounding the Strait of Hormuz? Host Bob Safian sits down with Rapid Response producer Alex Morris to weigh in. The pair also break down the impact of Uber COO Andrew Macdonald’s appearance on the podcast, and how it sparked a broader conversation throughout the business world about AI spending. Plus, leadership lessons forged in the fire of FIFA’s privatization play, Kalshi’s New York lawsuit, and the BTS boycott of The Grammy’s. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →
The Long Game: Bob Safian on great leadership in the AI revolution
2w ago00:46:52Tap to summarizeRapid Response host Bob Safian recently sat down with Eric Becker on The Long Game to discuss leadership, innovation, and what makes a category-defining business. Bob breaks down what goes into becoming a truly “backable" founder, drawing from his experience profiling early-stage leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and Brian Chesky. The pair also dive into the future of AI and what it means for productivity, how it will reshape the workforce, and why the next decade will reward CEOs who adapt quickly and make disciplined decisions in times of uncertainty.Subscribe to The Long Game with Eric Becker wherever you get your podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →The new rules of brand building, with Wieden+Kennedy CEO
2w ago00:30:08Tap to summarizeFor decades, Wieden+Kennedy has defined the brands that shape culture. Now, as economic uncertainty, AI, and shifting consumer expectations rewrite the rules of business, CEO Neal Arthur joins Rapid Response to break down why understanding your audience is no longer just the marketing team's job. Arthur shares what today's most successful brands are getting right and how leaders can better understand the culture that moves their customers. He also takes us behind the scenes of Nike's headline-making World Cup campaign, its emotional New York Knicks spot, and what’s at stake for the future of creativity in business. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Byron Allen’s vision for BuzzFeed, Starz, and beyond
3w ago00:30:50Tap to summarizeWhen media mogul Bryon Allen took a controlling stake in BuzzFeed in May – becoming its CEO and chairman – it was his latest bold bet in a volatile media landscape. The Allen Media Group founder joins Rapid Response to explain his strategy for BuzzFeed (note: we recorded this before BuzzFeed announced layoffs for 35% of its staff), taking over Stephen Colbert's former CBS time slot with his Comics Unleashed, why YouTube and Netflix aren't untouchable in the streaming wars, and why race matters in media ownership. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Serena Williams on winning in business
3w ago00:25:56Tap to summarizeSerena Williams doesn't just defy convention on the court. She’s also applying her competitive mindset to entrepreneurship and venture investing, recently rebranding her firm from Serena Ventures to Starfire Ventures. Serena joins Bob Safian to discuss the investment strategy that has led to 16 unicorns now in her portfolio, what she looks for in founders, and how partnerships with companies from Nike to Ro fit into her broader vision. Recorded live at the Reckitt Catalyst event in Palm Beach, Serena also opens up about balancing business with family life—and why she still feels the pull of the tennis court.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →No legacy, no playbook, no problem: Inside the Toronto Tempo's wild first season
4w ago00:29:08Tap to summarizeThe Toronto Tempo arrived in the WNBA this season with record-breaking attendance, a 53-point single-game performance, and the weight of being the league's newest franchise. As the season pauses for All-Star Weekend, President Teresa Resch joins Rapid Response to take stock of what she's built, what's surprised her, and what she's still figuring out in real time. She talks about running a sports franchise like a startup, navigating the tension between short-term results and long-term vision, and how Canada's complicated political relationship with the US impacts building a fanbase from scratch. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Delta's Ed Bastian on spiking fuel, summer travel, and a blunt reality check on AI
4w ago00:28:22Tap to summarizeFew companies have a better real-time read on the American economy than Delta, and few CEOs are more willing to say what they actually think. Ed Bastian returns to Rapid Response to share what Delta's booking data is telling him that the headlines aren't, why he's not convinced by AI until it moves his top line, and how he decided to yank congressional travel perks during the government shutdown. He also explains what it takes to stay optimistic when fuel costs are spiking, the Strait of Hormuz is in the news, and the world keeps finding new ways to be unpredictable.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →OpenAI’s Critterz blowback: Director Nik Kleverov on year zero for Hollywood
Jul 1700:31:46Tap to summarizeCritterz was one of the first feature films built primarily with AI, but OpenAI abruptly shut down Sora, the very tool its director was relying on. Nik Kleverov, Chief Creative Officer of Native Foreign, joins Rapid Response from the Cannes Lions festival to make the case for why AI isn't killing Hollywood, it's about to reinvent it. He breaks down why 2026 is year zero for mass adoption of AI in the film industry, and why human talent is more in demand than ever when great storytelling is the goal. Kleverov also confronts the darker side of the technology: deepfakes, scams, and the blurring line between real and generated, and offers a surprising possible solution.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →The quiet reinvention of a $42b business, with Canva’s Cameron Adams
Jul 1400:23:35Tap to summarizeIn the last year, Canva redefined itself from the ground up. Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Cameron Adams joins Rapid Response live from the Cannes Lions festival to explain why the so-called SaaSpocalypse never kept him up at night, how Canva shifted from a design company to an AI company without losing what made it great, and why being only 1% of the way there is actually the most exciting place to be. Adams also shares the specific steps anyone can take to get real impact from AI tools rather than just falling down the rabbit hole, and makes the case that in a world of commoditized models, your organization's unfair advantage is the only thing that matters.Eager for more of Cam? Take a moment to listen and download his own podcast, Prompted!Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →